Beer Canada is calling on the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance to implement targeted support measures to help save local restaurants as part of its 2022 pre-budget consultations.
In particular, the organization is advocating for a 50-per-cent tax cut on draught beer sold to licensed bars and restaurants.
“A 50-per-cent tax cut on draught beer sold to licensed bars and restaurants would provide a critical economic lifeline to neighbourhood restaurants and bars struggling to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic,” says CJ Hélie, Beer Canada’s president.
The organization notes that this excise duty cut would reduce federal excise duties on draught beer sold by more than $35 million annually, offsetting additional GST revenues and making the measure a net gain for the federal government.
RELATED: 8 out of 10 Canadian restaurants still barely surviving
Beer Canada is also seeking MPs support for an increase from 50 per cent to 100 per cent in permissible income tax deductions on meals purchased from restaurants for the next three years to match the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) support of American restaurants.
Additional pre-budget recommendations include eliminating alcohol excise duties on non-alcoholic beer and freezing the scheduled April 2022 automatic alcohol excise duty increase.
